Interview with Father Haynes Hubbard 5 year on

MILLIE wrote:

Watching wrote:Wonder what Father Sneddon (Seddon?) thinks of it all!

Fr Seddon. Is that the man of whom it was once said "the British priest staged evrything" or am I getting confused there? Was it somebody else?

tigger wrote:

MILLIE wrote:

Châtelaine wrote:

MILLIE wrote:

Watching wrote:Wonder what Father Sneddon (Seddon?) thinks of it all!

Fr Seddon. Is that the man of whom it was once said "the British priest staged evrything" or am I getting confused there? Was it somebody else?

***
If IIRC it was the Portuguese priest, Pacheco, who said that.

Thanks Chatelaine. If that is the case, one has to wonder what it was exactly that was (allegedly) 'staged'. And for what reason would a priest turn up and be so inclined to 'stage' anything? If so, why? What possible difference could it make to him whether two people he once married were in a bit of a hotspot? Back to that old point of why so many people were in such a hurry to fly out to help.

This would be Father Seddon, who got a set of St. Andrews golf clubs as a present for marrying the McCanns.mver, very generous, considering  he'd be paid for theservice anyway.

Châtelaine wrote:It's the only British priest so far, isn't he?
A very strange saying, that.

lj wrote:

Châtelaine wrote:It's the only British priest so far, isn't he?
A very strange saying, that.

It was, and it is. But maybe he tought that anyone from the British Commonwealth is British?

Portia wrote:Expression 'Closet Queen' ring a bell?

missbeetle wrote:Crikey!

Thank you for picking that up and pointing it out to me.

To my mind, he sounds posh English, with a mild Canadian accent.

I recall listening to a NZ radio interview with Father HH (Sept 2007?) where at one stage he said something along the lines of "...because we were English, no, because we spoke English".

He does give me itchy teeth.

Doug D wrote:Interesting ‘spot’ posted by someone in comments on Textusa’s ‘Speed’ thread today:
 
June 23^rd 2005
 
http://portugalresident.com/an-english-country-fair-in-the-western-algarve
 
‘ST VINCENT’S LOCUM ASSISTANT CHAPLAIN, FATHER HAYNES HUBBARD, HIS WIFE SUSAN and children Gabriel and Sebastian, put their full energy into the day. Although occupying only a brief tenure, FATHER HAYNES, whose parish is in Ontario near Niagara Falls, inspired HIS LUZ CONGREGATION and was clearly a hit among visitors to the fair. He has now left for pastures new and we wish him and his family well’.
 
So he was returning to PdL in 2007.

Nina wrote:

Monty Heck wrote:

lj wrote:

Newintown wrote:

lj wrote:I know it is not very constructive, but I have to rant about "father" Hubbard. This man truly gives me the creeps. The way he  talks down to everyone. Is that because of his "profession" or is he like Kate and Gerry: empty vessel that make a lot of noise.

I would not trust him with anything.

It does make you wonder why "he" was brought in to PDL all the way from Canada.   There must have been numerous fathers/priests nearer to Portugal who could have been brought in.   I remember reading somewhere that the McCanns have family somewhere in Canada, I think they had a holiday out there a few years ago after Madeleine disappeared.  It would be interesting to know if he has a connection to the family.

I do remember his arrival had been planned before this whole thing erupted. He is just one of those opportunist that won't let any disaster go to waste. He must have been in "heaven": a new post at the Mediterranean and daily his face on tv. He fitted in nicely with the other narcissists.  

lj, your comment in bold (mine) spot on, IMO.  HH seemed to divide his PDL flock into two camps; those who found him charismatic (in the religious as well as wordly sense) and those who cordially disliked him.  Some even boycotted his services but made a point of attending when any another cleric was officiating.  Whether liked and disliked in equal measure is not possible to say but the Hubbards' open devotion to the McCs did not go down well universally, by any means.

As to the use of 'Father', the PDL Anglican congregation do routinely use the term but combine 'Father' plus first name, so Father Haynes rather than Father Hubbard.  Other Anglican priests related to that congregation were addressed in the same way so nothing unusual in that.  
 
HH arrival in PDL was many months in the planning, as there was a lengthy period of negotiation before all was agreed to the satisfaction of all parties, then the chaplaincy house was given a thorough overhaul and update to accommodate a priest with a young family for the first time in a very long time, if not ever.  That the Hubbards arrived just after the disappearance was one of those mutually serendipitous occurrences.  HH was catapulted from obscurity onto the world stage as the priest forever associated with that situation which, as others have pointed out he seems to have relished.  For their part the McCs gained extremely useful friends who were PR gold, and so could craft their own lasting assocation with a (happily) photogenic religious backdrop.

A snip from your excellent post Monty Heck,    then the chaplaincy house was given a thorough overhaul and update to accommodate a priest with a young family for the first time in a very long time, if not ever.
This overhaul/refurb wasn't quite completed when the Hubbards arrived, and they had to stay somewhere else for a few days, for the life in me I cannot remember where, nor find a link, just remember them not being able to move straight in. There is also a small chapel in the Chaplaincy, so consecrated. The residence is very close to the Church. Not saying, just wondering.